ABSTRACT
There is an extensive guide to most punctuation devices and skills in Part Two [pp. 28-49], but nothing on how to punctuate direct speech or its ‘cousin’, quotation. I have postponed the study of these important skills for one simple reason: they are extremely tricky, even for fully competent writers. Contrary to many students’ beliefs and practice, punctuating dialogue or quotation is not just a matter of providing inverted commas at appropriate places: all the other ‘normal’ punctuation skills remain in play as well. This means that at any one time there is a great deal to remember, a great deal to get right; and if those ‘normal’ skills are not fully assured, any attempt to deal with more sophisticated tasks is very likely to dissolve into chaos.
